SENATE COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

March 21, 2001 Hearing Room B

1:00 PM Tapes 60 - 62

MEMBERS PRESENT: Sen. Bill Fisher, Chair

Sen. Margaret Carter, Vice-Chair

Sen. Gary George

Sen. Frank Shields

Sen. Ken Messerle

STAFF PRESENT: Rick Berkobien, Administrator

Andrew Morris, Committee Assistant

MEASURE/ISSUES HEARD: SJR 35 Work Session

SB 436 Public Hearing

HB 2696 Public Hearing and Work Session

SB 8 Public Hearing and Work Session

SB 164 Public Hearing

These minutes are in compliance with Senate and House Rules. Only text enclosed in quotation marks reports a speaker’s exact words. For complete contents, please refer to the tapes.

TAPE/#	Speaker	Comments
TAPE 60, A
004	Chair Fisher	Calls meeting to order at 1:13 p.m. and opens a public hearing on SB 436.
SB 436 PUBLIC HEARING
005	Sen. Verne Duncan	SD 12. Testifies in support of SB 436. Explains the background of the bill.
018	Chair Fisher	Comments on the fiscal impact.
025	Sen. Duncan	Explains the importance of watching over childcare providers.
038	Rep. Vicki Walker	HD 41. Testifies in support of SB 436. Discusses the importance of reviewing childcare facilities. Talks about safety issues.
090	Sen. George	Asks about reviewing safety features for providers.
095	Rep. Walker	Responds by explaining recalled products.
120	Chair Fisher	Closes the public hearing on SB 436 and opens a work session on SJR 35.
SJR 35 PUBLIC HEARING
130	Rick Berkobien	Administrator. Explains SJR 35.
138	Sen. Carter	States a need for a bipartisan approach.
145	Sen. George	States the intention of SJR 35 is to have a bipartisan approach.
166	Chair Fisher	Closes the work session on SJR 35 and opens a public hearing on SB 436.
SB 436 PUBLIC HEARING
183	David Baronberg	Oregon Commission for Childcare. Testifies in support of SB 436. States the bill is included in the governor’s budget. Comments on the current review process.
250	Mark Overbeck	Interim Director, Oregon Commission for Childcare. Testifies in support of SB 436. Enters a letter from Sen. Bev Clarno into the record (EXHIBIT A).
270	Tom Olson	Employment Department. Presents testimony in support of SB 436 (EXHIBIT B).
316	Chair Fisher	Comments on the intent of the bill.
349	Sen. George	Asks how long the federal funds will be available.
356	Olson	Responds the funds are a priority of congress.
375	Sen. Carter	Comments on the importance of continuing education.
397	Olson	Relates personal goal to provide education. Discusses safety issues.
418	Jeannie Suihkonen	Provider. Testifies in support of SB 436. Describes her background.
TAPE 61, A
020	Suihkonen	Continues testimony in support of SB 436.
049	Cindy Hammond	Provider. Testifies in support SB 436. Conveys the importance of having regulations.
072	Sen. Carter	States support of SB 436.
090	Sen. George	States the same bill should be incorporated into foster care.
107	Chair Fisher	Enters a letter from Cindy Nelson into the record (EXHIBIT C).
109	Andrea Brandt-Amor	Parent. Testifies in support of SB 436. Relates a personal experience involving the death of her son while he was in daycare.
160	Chair Fisher	Closes the public hearing on SB 436 and opens a work session on SB 436.
SB 436 WORK SESSION
165	Sen. Carter	MOTION: Moves SB 436 to the floor with a DO PASS recommendation.
		VOTE: 4-0 AYE: 4 - Carter, George, Messerle, Fisher EXCUSED: 1 - Shields
175	Chair Fisher	The motion CARRIES. SEN. CARTER will lead discussion on the floor.
179	Chair Fisher	Closes the public hearing on SB 436 and opens a public hearing on HB 2696.
HB 2696 PUBLIC HEARING
180	Berkobien	Explains HB 2696 and the –1 amendments to the committee.
222	Chair Fisher	Closes the public hearing on HB 2696 and reopens the work session on SB 436.
SB 436 WORK SESSION
226	Sen. Messerle	MOTION: Requests unanimous consent that the rules be SUSPENDED to allow SEN. SHIELDS to BE RECORDED as voting AYE on SB 436 to the floor with a DO PASS recommendation.
233	Chair Fisher	Closes the work session on SB 436 and reopens the public hearing on HB 2696.
HB 2696 PUBLIC HEARING
240	Baronberg	Testifies in support of HB 2696. States it is important to incorporate the business community into childcare issues.
260	Overbeck	Testifies in support of HB 2696.
272	Sen. Messerle	Comments on the affects of large committees.
279	Baronberg	Explains how work is done on the Commission for Childcare.
308	Greg Leo	Oregon Alliance for Affordable Childcare. Presents testimony in support of HB 2696 (EXHIBIT D). Comments the importance of childcare.
347	Chair Fisher	States support of adding business people on committees and task forces.
375	Chair Fisher	Closes the public hearing on HB 2696 and opens a work session on HB 2696.
HB 2696 WORK SESSION
382	Sen. Carter	MOTION: Moves to ADOPT HB 2696-1 amendments dated 03/05/01.
		VOTE: 5-0 AYE: 5 - Carter, George, Messerle, Shields, Fisher
387	Chair Fisher	The motion CARRIES.
390	Sen. Carter	MOTION: Moves HB 2696 to the floor with a DO PASS AS AMENDED recommendation.
		VOTE: 5-0 AYE: 5 - Carter, George, Messerle, Shields, Fisher
405	Chair Fisher	The motion CARRIES. SEN. GEORGE will lead discussion on the floor.
TAPE 60, B
000	Chair Fisher	Closes the work session on HB 2696 and opens a public hearing on SB 164.
SB 164 PUBLIC HEARING
002	Berkobien	Explains SB 164 to the committee. Enters letters on SB 164 into the record (EXHIBIT E).
023	Sen. Shields	Comments on SB 164.
101	Sen. Carter	Provides follow-up to Sen. Shields’ comments.
115	Chair Fisher	Provides further follow-up to Sen. Shields’ comments.
151	Sen. Fisher	Closes the public hearing on SB 164 and opens a public hearing on SB 8.
SB 8 PUBLIC HEARING
158	Berkobien	Reviews SB 8 and the –3 amendments.
202	Mark Nelson	Oregon Society of Clinical Social Workers. Testifies in opposition to SB 8 (EXHIBIT F). Reviews SB 8 from the perspective of clinical social workers. States that coverage for treatment of alcohol and drug addiction would be eliminated under SB 8.
356	Chair Fisher	Asks how the statistics are derived.
360	Nelson	Relates the amount of people enrolled in small employer insurance programs.
389	Chair Fisher	Asks if all small businesses would use the proposed plan.
392	Nelson	Responds no. Provides opinion of SB 8.
TAPE 61, B
000	Sen. Shields	Asks about minimum insurance coverage.
005	Nelson	Responds the proposal would lower insurance coverage for many people.
020	Sen. Carter	Comments on the intention of SB 8.
037	Chair Fisher	States the bill allows for options.
045	Sen. Carter	Comments on insurance coverage.
050	Chair Fisher	States that people are dropping out of insurance plans because of costs and the bill would allow for more people to be covered.
067	Nelson	Explains people will go for the lower threshold if they can save money.
087	Chair Fisher	Asks if the bill could cover people who do not have insurance currently.
092	Nelson	Responds it is a possibility.
098	Chair Fisher	Comments on insurance coverage in the work place. Gives the reasoning behind SB 8.
121	Nelson	Provides further opinion.
130	J.L. Wilson	National Federation of Independent Businesses. Testifies in support of SB 8. Comments on testimony at previous meetings. Explains healthcare costs for small business employers. Rebuts Nelson’s testimony.
179	Sen. George	Points out the proposal permits additional coverage to be purchased.
190	Wilson	Comments on supplemental policies.
204	Karen Smith	Director of Legislation, Senate President’s Office. Testifies in support of SB 8. Explains the intentions of SB 8. States the legislation move away from mandates. Comments on previous legislation. Explains the –3 amendments.
265	Doug Barber	Oregon Association of Underwriters. Testifies in support of SB 8. Explains that many employers would not purchase the proposed package. States that some employers are not able to afford increasing health costs.
292	Sen. Shields	Asks for clarification of Barber’s testimony.
296	Barber	Responds by explaining his testimony.
307	Chair Fisher	Closes the public hearing on SB 8 and opens a work session on SB 8.
SB 8 WORK SESSION
320	Sen. Carter	MOTION: Moves to ADOPT SB 8-4 amendments dated 03/21/01.
		VOTE: 2-3 AYE: 2 – Carter, Shields NAY: 3 – George, Messerle, Fisher
351	Chair Fisher	The motion FAILS.
TAPE 62, A (Tape 62 was inadvertently erased, please refer to the end of 61, B)
012	Sen. George	MOTION: Moves to ADOPT SB 8-3 amendments dated 03/20/01.
		VOTE: 3-2 AYE: 3 - George, Messerle, Fisher NAY: 2 - Carter, Shields
016	Chair Fisher	The motion CARRIES.
019	Sen. George	MOTION: Moves SB 8 to the floor with a DO PASS AS AMENDED recommendation.
		VOTE: 3-2 AYE: 3 - George, Messerle, Fisher NAY: 2 - Carter, Shields
026	Chair Fisher	The motion CARRIES. SEN. DERFLER will lead discussion on the floor.
027	Chair Fisher	Closes the work session on SB 8 and adjourns the meeting.

Submitted By, Reviewed By,

Andrew Morris, Rick Berkobien,

Committee Assistant Administrator

EXHIBIT SUMMARY

A – SB 436, Letter from Sen. Bev Clarno, Mark Overbeck, 1 p.

B – SB 436, Written testimony, Tom Olson, 2 pp.

C – SB 436, Letter from Cindy Nelson, Sen. Bill Fisher, 1 p.

D – HB 2696, Written testimony, Greg Leo, 1 p.

E – SB 164, Letters, Rick Berkobien, 2 pp.

F – SB 8, Information, Mark Nelson, 8 pp.